tomtomhitter
New Bee
Hi all.
Apologies of this has been asked before. I've done a bit of trawling, but can't find anything to help really.
Firstly, I know I am a little late in my harvesting, but I harvested mid September last year and had a good amount from two first year colonies. Not recommended, but both over-wintered well and boomed this year.
My first hive, which is double BB and really strong has only filled 8 of 10 frames in one super. The remaining two are 90% full, but only around 10% capped. Once the super was full on 8 frames I added a second, which the bees haven't touched.
However, 4 brood frames in the upper BB are completely full and capped.
Is there a recommended process for encouraging the bees to move stores from the BB to fill the last two frames and cap them? Or am I too late now?
Or can I just harvest the capped honey in the BB?
My second hive has filled and capped 90% of each of the 10 frames, but each frame has an un-capped golf ball sized portion, in the middle along the bottom bar.
Is this likely to have never been capped, or is this the sign of them uncapping and starting to use the stores as they were originally intended because the weather has been so terrible for most of Aug and Sept?
Or, like in the first hive, are they likely to cap it if I give them more time?
Thanks all!!!
Apologies of this has been asked before. I've done a bit of trawling, but can't find anything to help really.
Firstly, I know I am a little late in my harvesting, but I harvested mid September last year and had a good amount from two first year colonies. Not recommended, but both over-wintered well and boomed this year.
My first hive, which is double BB and really strong has only filled 8 of 10 frames in one super. The remaining two are 90% full, but only around 10% capped. Once the super was full on 8 frames I added a second, which the bees haven't touched.
However, 4 brood frames in the upper BB are completely full and capped.
Is there a recommended process for encouraging the bees to move stores from the BB to fill the last two frames and cap them? Or am I too late now?
Or can I just harvest the capped honey in the BB?
My second hive has filled and capped 90% of each of the 10 frames, but each frame has an un-capped golf ball sized portion, in the middle along the bottom bar.
Is this likely to have never been capped, or is this the sign of them uncapping and starting to use the stores as they were originally intended because the weather has been so terrible for most of Aug and Sept?
Or, like in the first hive, are they likely to cap it if I give them more time?
Thanks all!!!